Iran training terrorists to carry out attacks: Israel defence minister

Israel’s defence minister Benny Gantz on Sunday alleged that Iran’s Kashan Airbase is being used to train “terrorists from Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon” to operate Iranian-made drones to carry out regional attacks.

“One of the most significant tools that Iran has developed is its unmanned aerial vehicle system—an accurate, deadly system that can cross thousands of kilometres. The Iranians produce and export them to their proxies,” local media quoted Gantz who was speaking at Reichman University in Herzliya.

“Terrorists from Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are receiving training on how to operate Iran-made drones in the Kashan Base north of Isfahan. Kashan is leading Iran’s export of aerial terrorism in the region,” he added.

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The minister called on the signatories of the Iran nuclear deal to enact sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

His comments a month after Tehran came under global scrutiny over a suspected drone attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off Oman.

A July 29 blast aboard the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned petroleum product tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime, near the mouth of the Gulf, a key oil shipping route, killed two crew —a Briton and a Romanian.

The U.S. military said explosives experts from the Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier —which deployed to assist the Mercer Street—concluded the explosion was from a drone produced in Iran, which was accused by other world powers in the attack.

Iran has denied involvement.

(With inputs from agencies)